Council OKs Veterans Park archway amid controversy

Thursday

Dec 12, 2013 at 6:30 PM

The human remains interred at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Rome were found along North James Street, not far from Veterans Park where the Veterans Council wants to build an archway in time for the city's Memorial Day ceremony in 2014.

Ned Campbell

The human remains interred at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Rome were found along North James Street, not far from Veterans Park where the Veterans Council wants to build an archway in time for the city's Memorial Day ceremony in 2014.

The risk of interfering with the remains of Revolutionary War soldiers is one reason why some people want the group to take a step back from its plans.

Fort Stanwix National Monument includes only a portion of the siege of the 1777 battlefield, and Veterans Park's closeness to the fort almost guarantees the presence of archeological resources, park Superintendent Debbie Conway wrote in a letter read by Councilwoman Ramona Smith, D-4, at Wednesday's Common Council meeting.

"Prior to any construction work, a plan should be developed to handle the inadvertent discovery of artifacts," Conway wrote.

Conway also wrote that the state Historic Preservation Office should be given time to comment on the project since it is within the national Gansevoort-Bellamy Historic District.

Smith was the only council member to vote against allowing the Veterans Council's proposal to move to the Planning Board for design approval.

Building an archway at the park would make Gansevoort Park — located directly across the street — appear less significant, she said. Veterans Park features a statue of a modern soldier while Gansevoort Park features a statue of Continental Army Brigadier-General Peter Gansevoort, who held the fort during the famous 21-day siege.

"We need to work together and come to a consensus that honors all those who have defended our freedom," Smith said.

The proposed archway — designed by Raulli's Ironworks of Rome — was met with resistance from the Rome Main Streets Alliance last month, and the nonprofit has contracted another designer to produce signage renderings for the park.

In a letter from the alliance's design committee Chairwoman Joanne Bush that Smith also read, Bush asked the council not to vote on the resolution because it used the word "archway" several times and "time is needed to research for historic review."

Veterans Council President Mike Grogan said the veterans set up a meeting with the alliance earlier this month that no alliance members attended.

"That tells me that there's no sense of urgency," he said.

Councilwoman Kim Rogers, R-3, however, said the alliance was given less than 24 hours notice for that meeting.

Following Wednesday's vote, the veterans can begin their fundraising efforts for the archway that will cost an estimated $15,000 to $20,000 to build, Grogan said.